Atlasaurus

Say it like this: “AT-luh-SAWR-us”

Atlasaurus imelakei

Atlasaurus ate plants and walked on four legs. It lived in the Middle Jurassic. Bones have been found in Morocco.

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When: Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) · roughly 168.2 to 165.3 million years ago
Named in: 1999 · Monbaron, M.; Russell, D. A.; Taquet, P.
Hip height: 3.5 m · 11 ft
Length: 15 m · 49 ft
Weight: 22.5 tonnes
Found in: Morocco · Grès des Guettioua
Food and walking: Herbivore · Four legs
Kind: long-neck giant · Sauropod
Family branch: Eusauropoda

The story in short

Atlasaurus was formally named in 1999 by M. Monbaron and colleagues. The name honors a person tied to the fossil or its study.

It lived in the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian), roughly 168.2 to 165.3 million years ago. Finds come from Morocco, including the Grès des Guettioua Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on four legs.

Published estimates put Atlasaurus at a length near 15 m, hips about 3.5 m high, and a body mass around 22.5 tonnes.

On the family tree it sits in Eusauropoda, among the sauropod dinosaurs.

Close relatives

Algoasaurus

Algoasaurus bauri

Early Cretaceous (Berriasian · Valanginian) · roughly 143.1 to 132.6 million years ago

Bagualia

Bagualia alba

Early Jurassic (Toarcian) · roughly 184.2 to 174.7 million years ago

Bellusaurus

Bellusaurus sui

Middle Jurassic · Late Jurassic (Callovian · Oxfordian) · roughly 165.3 to 154.8 million years ago